Chemistry, unity continues to help Cheboygan in soccer success

Smith's teammate, senior striker Sierra Kolatski, agreed. “This team this year, I love this team, I love all of them, we get along so good,” said Kolatski, who earned a second district title with the Cheboygan program on Saturday. “Any time we're in the team room we just listen to music and we sing and w...

CHEBOYGAN — As the Cheboygan girls’ soccer team celebrated its third consecutive district championship—this time in front of their home fans in a 6-1 victory over Grayling last Saturday—it was another landmark moment for a program which has had consistent long-term success during the tenure of Mark Stormzand.

Coming into the season, however, there were a lot of question marks for the Chiefs, who lost nine seniors—including stars Megan Murphy and McKenzie Carroll, among others—to last year’s district title team.

But while the Chiefs might have lost a plethora of talent, they never lost one of the most important qualities in terms of building success—team unity and chemistry.

With a squad composed of more younger players than usual, the Chiefs—a team still unbeaten this season—have mixed their talent and chemistry to help create a powerful team that’s crushed just about every opponent it’s faced.

For the players involved, it’s been one special year of bonding together.

“It’s incredible,” said goalkeeper Jessica Smith, one of Cheboygan’s five senior players. “I thought last year’s team bonded and we were all really close, but this year, it’s literally like a family. It’s kind of cliché to say, but everybody’s so close, there’s no cliques, everybody gets along, and it shows on the field. We play the same way we play off the field, which is united as friends.”

Smith’s teammate, senior striker Sierra Kolatski, agreed.

“This team this year, I love this team, I love all of them, we get along so good,” said Kolatski, who earned a second district title with the Cheboygan program on Saturday. “Any time we’re in the team room we just listen to music and we sing and we laugh and we just have a good time and get ready for the games. We have a lot of fun, but we also know when it’s game time.”

“We’re a really close team, and I’ve been on the team for a while,” added junior midfielder Mandy Paull, a three-year varsity player. “We all really bond well, we all realize what our goals are, and we all really play to achieve them.

“We’re all on the same page.”

For Stormzand, who guided the Chiefs to their sixth district championship in eight seasons on Saturday, building team camaraderie has been one of his major aspirations ever since taking over the Chiefs in 1997.

Page 2 of 2 - In most years, Stormzand has dealt with losing great talent to graduation. But what he hasn’t lost—and won’t lose anytime soon—is his ability to build chemistry with the new players he brings in with the experienced players.

As a result of strong team building, it’s translated into dominant success on the field for many seasons.

“I’ve been really fortunate as a coach. I’ve had really competitive, close-knit teams,” Stormzand said. “This year, going into it, I didn’t really know what to expect. My seniors had actually played behind so many people in the past, like Sierra (Kolatski) had played behind McKenzie (Carroll). I didn’t know what to expect with so many freshmen, but they really bonded well and they bonded quickly.”

To help his players get more familiar with each other, Stormzand has hosted team camps in recent summers, while also taking his group to a team camp in East Lansing in March before the regular season begins.

“I take them to camp in East Lansing for the weekend, to get them to know each other,” Stormzand explained. “When we have those rooms, there’s four girls in a room. It’s like a freshman, sophomore, junior and senior in each room, so they really get to know each other and that’s really helped us unify this team. That’s a plus to be successful.”

Successful might be an understatement for this year’s Chiefs, who hold a remarkable 108-3 scoring advantage over their opponents.

With a MHSAA regional semifinal contest against Freeland about to get underway today in Clare at 5 p.m., the Chiefs will have another chance to add more to an already stellar season.

But win or lose, the Cheboygan girls’ soccer program seems well-equipped to be a power in its league and in its district for years to come.

“It’s definitely a great program,” Smith said. “I really encourage people to play, but it’s more than just teaching and soccer. Coach (Stormzand) prepares us for going on to college, living life and taking the high ground, being moral.